Andoni Iraola: Liverpool appoint former Bournemouth boss as Arne Slot’s successor on two-year deal

Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.

Iraola has signed a two-year deal at Anfield and can succeed Arne Slot, who was sacked only a yr after profitable the Premier League.

The method was being led by sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth in 2023 earlier than he moved to Anfield the next yr.

Sky Sports activities Information understands that different candidates have been thought of, however Iraola was the one one spoken to. The membership really feel they’ve certainly one of soccer’s finest managers, which is confirmed by the curiosity in Iraola this summer time. They have been additionally impressed by Iraola’s need to hitch them.

Liverpool additionally really feel the 43-year-old is the most effective supervisor to make them extra aggressive and implement a front-footed fashion.

Iraola and Bournemouth accomplished an 18-game unbeaten run throughout the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season, resulting in them securing a sixth-place end and Europa League soccer. In addition they completed simply three factors behind Liverpool within the desk.

“Really excited, really excited,” he advised Liverpoolfc.com. “As a result of clearly you realize about Liverpool, you realize that it is a massive membership, an enormous membership, one of many greatest on this planet.

“But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it’s a special club.

“You do not want quite a lot of issues to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.

“But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It’s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.

“I can solely say [to the fans] that I need to develop into yet another of you, I need to earn the precise to be certainly one of you, so we will take pleasure in all of it collectively.”

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Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor:

“When you think about the variety of golf equipment that have been after him as nicely this summer time already, that is somebody whose profession Liverpool have adopted intently.

“Don’t forget, they tried to sign him as a player, and they’ve watched with admiration how his coaching career has developed as well. Don’t forget those quotes going back to Jurgen Klopp’s days as well, when he voiced his admiration for Iraola and the job that he was doing at Bournemouth at that point.

“We additionally perceive that whereas different candidates have been thought of, Iraola was the one one which Liverpool really spoke to.

“When it came to Iraola’s attitude towards Liverpool, Liverpool were his first, second, third, last choice; that’s desire that was well received here at Liverpool. When it comes to his backroom staff, Liverpool are currently exploring the options regarding that.”

‘Bottle of magic’ – How Iraola can restore reference to followers

Sky Sports activities Information’ Mark McAdam:

“The largest praise I pays Andoni Iraola is he made Bournemouth followers fall in love with the staff. They cherished going to observe video games on the Vitality Stadium.

“They saw the identity, they saw the philosophy and even at the beginning where things weren’t going so well and results weren’t there, they could see what was happening and they knew it just needed time.

“If Liverpool followers love going to Anfield, they’re in love with their staff, they love the fashion of soccer, they love what they’re seeing, then they are going to go, ‘okay, we will see what is going on on right here. We would want to provide a bit of little bit of time to go the place we need to go by way of profitable 9 out of 10 video games and difficult for the Premier League, however I’m beginning to fall in love with this group of gamers and this philosophy.’

“That’s what Iraola did at Bournemouth. He built a really clever group of players, he built bridges with the supporters and everyone just loved him. In the end, you’ve got Bournemouth fans going into games against Liverpool and Arsenal and Manchester City thinking, ‘we’ll win today and even if we don’t, I know that we’re going to be brilliant to watch’.

“If Iraola can carry that little bottle of magic that he had with Bournemouth and take it to Liverpool and create that ambiance… then the remaining will begin to comply with.

“And I do hate to compare it and mention Jurgen Klopp but that’s exactly what Jurgen did when he arrived at Liverpool. That emotional connection is something that Liverpool fans have been missing, certainly this season because that emotional connection was missing between Liverpool fans and Arne Slot and that didn’t necessarily help the atmosphere at Anfield.”

Carragher uncertain if Iraola can win Liverpool the league

Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher on Andoni Iraola:

“He’s done a brilliant job in the Premier League, what Bournemouth have done is absolutely fantastic, but there are still huge question marks.

“The way in which he performs is unquestionably the way in which Liverpool need to return to: high-intensity soccer. We all know he is incredible at that, but it surely’s not simply all about that whenever you’re the Liverpool supervisor.

“Off the ball was a giant downside for Arne Slot, that was the factor that basically fearful me, and I stated all season that Liverpool off the ball have been so poor.

“That’s a big part of Liverpool’s DNA, not just under Jurgen Klopp. The reason we talk about the Anfield factor, a lot of it is off the ball, not just on it, so he’s fantastic at that.

“My fear is, are you able to play at that depth whenever you’re enjoying each three days, and that was solely getting performed as soon as every week with Bournemouth. That’s fully totally different.

“Whenever you’re bringing a manager in for a top club in England, you’re thinking: ‘Can he win me the league?’ That’s a big question mark around him, or any manager coming in, but Liverpool had a manager who’s won the league, so that’s why I was always torn.”

Redknapp: Iraola can deal with Liverpool strain

Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Redknapp on Andoni Iraola:

“I love the man. I never thought what Eddie Howe did [at Bournemouth] could be eclipsed, but he’s done that.

“The fashion of soccer is superb – they play excessive strain, they get after groups, which is precisely what Liverpool followers need.

“They want to see people with high energy, whether that fits the Liverpool mould, because they’ll play man for man a lot. That style of play in midfield is really high energy – whether Wirtz fits into that, it’ll be fascinating to see. Everybody is going to have to run in that team.

“There’s talk that he doesn’t like to talk to his players too much – if you’re not in the team, he doesn’t want to talk to you.

“That will not attraction to quite a lot of the gamers, however this present day, quite a lot of gamers go straight to the chairman or the director of soccer anyway.

“However he units his stall out early – when you’re within the staff, he tells you a few hours beforehand.

“What will be the question now is going from Bournemouth to Liverpool, how do you handle that transition? I don’t see it as a problem for him.

“So long as he will get the precise gamers he wants… you’ll be able to see he is made so many gamers at Bournemouth go from okay gamers to incredible gamers, that look match for the invoice.

“I’ve got no problems with if he can handle it. He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If it is to be him, I have no doubt.”